The start of a new weekly feature--30 fashionable people

A few days ago I finished reading "The Little Black Book of Style" by Nina Garcia--which by the way is a MUST read--- and in that book I ran across a bunch of names I did not recoginize.  Thirty names to be exact.  So I compiled a list of those names.  I then decided I would research and write about all thirty of those names over the next year in this blog.  One name a week over the next thirty weeks.  Because if I don't know then you may not know them as well.  We will learn together.

 So the first name, and in no particular order is-----Nan Kempner born July 24, 1930 and died July 3, 2005. She was a New York City socialite, famous for dominating society events, shopping, charity work and of course fashion.

She was born as Nan Field Schlesinger in San Francisco, an only child from a wealthy family. Her father, Albert "Speed" Schlesinger, owned the largest car dealership in California and reportedly told his daughter "You'll never make it on your face, so you'd better be interesting."

She attended Connecticut College and met Thomas Lenox Kempner, a banker. In the early 1950s they married and had three children. After living in London for a short time the Kempners moved to New York City, where Nan took the initiative to become a leader in society.

Over a thirty year period she helped raise over $75,000,000 (USD) for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. She also amassed the largest private collection of haute couture clothing featuring classic designers like Mainbocher and her favorite designers Yves Saint Laurent and Bill Blass.

At various times in her life Kempner worked as a contributing editor for French Vogue, a fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar, a design consultant for Tiffany & Co. and an international representative of the auction house Christie's.


In Armistead Maupin's "Tales of the City" series, two society matrons discuss the creation of a society wax museum, emphasizing that future generations might not otherwise know what Nan Kempner looked like. Kempner herself authored a book about how to be a truly great host entitled R.S.V.P. (2000, ISBN 0-609-60430-9). The proceeds of the book benefited several charities.

Diana Vreeland, former editor of Vogue, once said: "There are no chic women in America. The one exception is Nan Kempner."

Notable quotes said by Nan Kempner:

I wouldn't miss the opening of a door.



Some people say the camera loves me, the truth is, I love the camera.


The only plastic I want is plastic surgery!


I want to be buried naked, I know there's a store where I'm going.


I spend way more than I should ... and way less than I want.